It's Tough Being Me - The Kevin Pietersen Story

[Top_Cat]

The perception of anything is as bad as the reality, so yes.

Last night KP had been told he'd never play for England again

By the time I woke up it had been downgraded to 'not categorical'

So I'm just interested to know what the craic actually is. Once Strauss has spoken (and possibly we have KP's side), let's judge it from there

I kinda feel like if KP had been told it was a no nay never that he'd have tweeted about it already because that's how he rolls

If he says anything to the effect that the England side is not going to be picked on merit this summer then he can't possibly be judged as anything other than a failure and a ****

Kinda think FF's answer will be the one. Can only imagine what a categorical 'no matter how many you score, you won't play if you're not one of Strauss' boyz' says to every FC cricketer in England, even if absolutely everyone from the Test side down to Minor Counties journeyman recognises KP is unsuitable. Just say what is politically smart and quietly never pick the guy, as per how the Aussie selectors dealt with late-career charges by blokes like Bevvo.

 

[Spikey]

they should pick James Hildreth anyway

 

[Jono]

The perception of anything is as bad as the reality, so yes.

Last night KP had been told he'd never play for England again

By the time I woke up it had been downgraded to 'not categorical'

So I'm just interested to know what the craic actually is. Once Strauss has spoken (and possibly we have KP's side), let's judge it from there

I kinda feel like if KP had been told it was a no nay never that he'd have tweeted about it already because that's how he rolls

I get that, but my point is the Strauss appointment immediately, whether actually true or not, looks like a Cook and ECB friendly appointment, for some of the reasons Dan noted.

The fact that there was even widespread news that KP was told by Strauss that he isn't playing, is already a fail for the Strauss appointment. The circus is ridiculous.

Obviously Strauss needs time in the job to be properly judged, but the appointment immediately creates a stink of boys club.

 

[GIMH]

I get that, but my point is the Strauss appointment immediately, whether actually true or not, looks like a Cook and ECB friendly appointment, for some of the reasons Dan noted.

The fact that there was even widespread news that KP was told by Strauss that he isn't playing, is already a fail for the Strauss appointment. The circus is ridiculous.

Obviously Strauss needs time in the job to be properly judged, but the appointment immediately creates a stink of boys club.

Yeah but we already know Strauss is making a statement today. So if the news turns out to be false (it won't, IMO) then the overnight perception emerges as irrelevant.

Where I am with you is that Strauss is likely to politic his way through the statement and as such there the perception of bias will shine through

I don't necessarily agree with the whole 'ECB yes man' that people are levying at him. He was touted for the job (or whatever it was at that point) before Downton and none of that reared his head. He's genuinely someone I would look to in a role like that, certainly would prefer him to Vaughan. I mean the whole 'not far removed' thing is a red herring as far as I am concerned because there are so many ex-cricketers that we hear in the media that the game has moved on from. They are badly out of touch. Strauss understands the inner workings of English cricket and the way the game works now.

All that being said, this whole KP business, plus the Moores fiasco, has made for an appalling start.

 

[King Pietersen]

I kinda feel like if KP had been told it was a no nay never that he'd have tweeted about it already because that's how he rolls

This. Morgan is tweeting that he spoke to KP this morning, and if KP had told him it was a definite no, it'd be across Twitter right now. Morgan wouldn't wait and let Strauss be the one to break the news at 12. I reckon he's been told no for the NZ series, but to continue to make runs, and that he will be considered for Australia. Personally, I'd be throwing him back in right now, especially in the shorter formats.

 

[social]

I'm still not convinced that KP could score runs in Div 1 and any decision on his return should be delayed until he does so

 

[harsh.ag]

I'm still not convinced that KP could score runs in Div 1 and any decision on his return should be delayed until he does so

You're hard to please.

 

[Stapel]

If I were to be honest, I think he has been told he has a way back in for the Ashes if he and his mates show good behavior in social media, or really all media.

This, or something like it, makes sense. Pietersen was dropped for being a dick, time and time again. Scoring runs won't change that. Giving him some sort of way to prove he is no longer a dressing room poisoning arsehole, seems to be the only way for him to be reconsidered.

 

[nevermind]

this is like christmas

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I'm still not convinced that KP could score runs in Div 1 and any decision on his return should be delayed until he does so

Well that won't happen then as Slurrey will find a way not to get promoted as normal.

Not got a problem if he was to return to the side for the ashes if he has scored 3 or 4 centuries in the championship and has a space available at 4 or 5. That means one of Ballance, Root or Bell is injured probably but he would have to bat at 4 or 5 if he came back and currently those spots are taken by guys who have done very well since KP was dropped.

Personally I don't think he will ever return but we will find out more soon from Strauss.

 

[Shri]

Whats funny is people thinking 'being a dick' is an offence worth dropping someone over.

 

[harsh.ag]

If I were to be honest, I think he has been told he has a way back in for the Ashes if he and his mates show good behavior in social media, or really all media.

Ha ha. Okay, Piers Morgan has gone ape**** on Twitter and TalkRadio. So this one's probably not right either (although it should have been).

 

[GIMH]

Whats funny is people thinking 'being a dick' is an offence worth dropping someone over.

what's actually funny is the way so many people think it's just that simple

 

[Pratters]

what's actually funny is the way so many people think it's just that simple

They should have handled it better if there was more to it. A proper statement giving the reasons perhaps. They just didn't handle the media and public handling of it properly.

 

[Sarun]

what's actually funny is the way so many people think it's just that simple

Even more funny when people claims that people think it's simple to deflect the obtuseness of the ECB's handling of the whole saga.

 

[harsh.ag]

Tbf, this is a fairly disgraceful manner to treat an English sporting great. More and more, it seems like they just hate him, and that's all. And what really sticks for me is that ECB assumes they have the right to ban players they don't like for performance unrelated reasons. I would suppose they don't. I would suppose, over all else, they have a fiduciary responsibility to field the best England XI regardless of their personal feelings on the XI players. If the management show complete ineptitude when handling the player, it's the management that should go, not the player. This is on top of the fact that a sportsman has been lied to, and that has cost him money from his IPL career. Utter rubbish.

 

[OverratedSanity]

what's actually funny is the way so many people think it's just that simple

It pretty much is, isn't it? Text-gate was different, but his sacking after the Ashes, was basically because he was a ****. There's no other real reasons being given.

 

[Gnske]

I do hope this goes on forever, I do enjoy Piers spewing his bile about this non-stop.

 

[Pothas]

This is latest bit is basically Graves fault.

 

[Sarun]

I don't think the rump England team sans Pieterson has much credit in the bank to warrant any protection from the alleged and apparent negative consequence of Pieterson's presence in the dressing room as opposed to the apparent talent the latter would bring in if selected (though I guess him being away from the international side would naturally call for discussion on whether he could still cut it on the top level).